Oprah Winfrey's mother, Vernita Lee, has died

File picture: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP. A Winfrey spokeswoman issued a statement, today, saying Lee died at her Milwaukee home on November 22.

While Oprah made no official statement about her mother's passing, the family did confirm her death and noted that the burial had already taken place during a private funeral.

No other details were given.

Born in 1935 in segregated Mississippi, Lee worked as a housekeeper while Oprah was raised by her maternal grandmother until she was 6-years-old when she was sent to Wisconsin to live with her mother.

The duo had a distant relationship until later in Winfrey's life, and they eventually appeared together on her eponymous talk show in 1990. She had two other children, Jeffrey and Patricia, who died before her.

Lee was a lifetime member of the NAACP, and her daughter joked at the dinner that Lee had been asking her for years to come to Waukesha County to speak at the Freedom Fund event.

Winfrey has always been outspoken about the tumultuous relationship she had with her mother when she was young.

"Thank you to my mother Vernita Lee for doing the best she knew and could do in raising me", she said.

"I walked into that space feeling completely alone and abandoned".

After sharing two Instagram videos on Thanksgiving, Winfrey had stayed quiet on social media. "I don't really even know my mother", Winfrey told HuffPost in a 2015 interview. "I loved her the way that she loves people now". Vernita passed away on Thanksgiving Day.

Related news

InSight came to rest as planned in the middle of a vast, barren plain called the Elysium Planitia, close to the planet's equator. The stationary 360-kilogram lander will use its 1.8-meter robotic arm to place a mechanical mole and seismometer on the ground.

In a joint statement, Bruno Le Maire and Hiroshige Seko said they both wanted "to maintain this winning cooperation". In the course of Nissan internal investigation revealed that the gon use company assets for personal purposes.

This would end the current system, in which asylum seekers stay on safer United States soil while their claims are processed. Asked about the prospective plan on Saturday afternoon, a White House spokesperson did not deny it.

Today wasn't a great day for us but if we put things into perspective it was an awesome year, an incredible comeback'. Fans gave Zverev a huge ovation as he stepped up to serve for the set, and it appeared to inspire him.

The Sentinelese people have expressed a wish to remain uncontacted on multiple occasions, with the occasional violent clash. In 2006, the Sentinelese allegedly killed two fishermen whose boat drifted on to the island after they fell asleep.

Earlier Sunday, Gastelum said he will not allow bilateral relations to be broken by bad actions of the migrant caravan. Some attempted to enter through San Ysidro, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement.

Several retailers have reportedly pulled the brand from their stores and websites in China and Hong Kong. As the fallout grew, Dolce&Gabbana goods were also taken off from the Chinese e-commerce platforms.

The session started at 5 p.m. and finished under floodlights to mirror conditions for Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race. Brown said Alonso was sure to attend some Formula One races next year and did not rule out a new role for him eventually.

India's Kom wins record sixth world boxing gold
In the 48 kilogram category, Mary Kom is aiming to clinch her historic sixth World title. "I dedicate my Gold to my nation". It was the biggest test for Mary Kom but she got off the block soon with quick right hook and kept on attacking from right.

EU Leaders Agree On Brexit Deal
But Mrs May told reporters in Brussels: "The UK's position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar has not changed and will not change". Leaving the European Union on 29 March 2019 will mark "a new chapter in our national life", she said.

Power Rankings: Gonzaga earns the No. 1 spot
The Zags took a 39-32 lead into the locker rooms when Jeremy Jones sank a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the first half. However, Gonzaga has controlled the pace from the onset and has given Duke its first real challenge of the season.

Goldman Sachs analyst slash his price target on Apple Inc
Reports on the internet are attributing the reduction in production to the "lower-than-expected" demand of the latest devices. Apple also announced earlier this month that it would not release individual sales numbers for its iPhone, iPad and Mac.